After working for 10 years helping students with ADHD , test anxiety, and learning challenges with multi modality biofeedback , (this is not the neuro biofeedback protocol ) I found that biofeedback alone was not enough and either was ritalin the medication given at the time. Rather , you need to go to the source of the problem. That I found was the way the student was learning or the way they were being taught. In addition , I noticed that if a student was having learning issues for years before they came to me for help, the student had years of missed education they needed to catch up on. So in the 1990's , I found that if I could use biofeedback combined with accelerated learning techniques I could really help to student to improve. This combination was revolutionary at the time. Happily, it is now main stream. In addition to the relaxed concentration techniques and accelerated learning techniques, I had to adapt them to the student where they could use very short exercises that work, but could also be used in the class-room. thus, in the book being In Control, I developed under two minute exercises of seated yoga , and exercises that use all the senses. Another thing that was revolutionary at the time. These included using props like liquid timers , wood massage items, sea shells for listening to the " sea" , relaxing scenes, metronome , music, aromatic oils , Chinese balls, self massage , smooth stones, and toys that test relaxed concentration and much more. A sort of "have it your own way" menu like the hamburger commercial at the time. In addition , I had shown that the galvanic skin response potential (GSR) device "Ultra- Mind" developed by an Israeli and lent to my lab at the Brill Day Mental Health Center in Ramat- Gan Israel, was very good in testing relaxed concentration physiologically and objectively. It was what I called "The Rosetta Stone" because I was able to test all the techniques out there and found that youngsters with ADHD had a specific GSR signal. This baseline test and use of the GSR I published in a video " GSR Biofeedback Techniques for the Natural ADHD Practitioner" . Unfortunately , the allied health and medical world was busy looking at EEG biofeedback as a stand alone protocol , and missed this technique. This is in part because the GSR signal from Ultra Mind was very sensitive and others around the world did not have this device for years. At the time the company was using their GSR device mainly to help with anxiety disorders.
We see in this picture the normal GSR signal during relaxed concentration as compared to a GSR signal that is labile and worse the longer a student with ADHD tries to sit still and even worse when they close their eyes.
Another problem I had was that when a patient with ADHD was sent to me for biofeedback at a mental health center or later at the other allied and complimentary health centers I worked at around Israel like in Hillel Yaffe medical center , Maccabi and so on, well they were sent for a half hour biofeedback session not relaxed concentration techniques or accelerated learning strategies. I was starting to include more and more accelerated learning into the biofeedback sessions because this combination was powerful in helping poor students suddenly achieve very high grades. It was what I called the small metal key that opened a large steel door. I also noticed that through the school and medical system, there was a quickness to prescribe medications like Ritalin - calling them "harmless" without exploring other options like what I was doing. putting it straight, the client - the young student - had no say in the matter. Thus, I wanted to produce a self help book for students with ADHD "attention deficit hyperactive disorder" that they could use on their own and intuitively figure out what to do on their own. Of note , when I later returned to the USA in 2006, I began to re release a live video of the techniques (Being In Control : Natural Solutions for ADHD , Dyslexia , and Test Anxiety)". I gave a talk about this book and showed the video at the CALD (Connecticut Association of Learning Disabilities) in 2008 . I was clearly told by the over 20 people in the workshop that this is the first time they have seen these methods. With new technology amazon.com through their company CreateSpace I was able to offer the video as a streaming download through Amazon.com. The video and book as a CD set may also be purchased. A digital copy of the book Being In Control was made after I had to rework the small print and make it larger so as to be able to scan. As this was the first book I published, I had no concept that one day I would need to put it to digital copy.
The learning strategies that I placed in the book Being In Control I later began to make into separate videos for down load and purchase. These include the video " Anyone Can Improve Their Own Handwriting" , which turned out to be another first. There never was a video teaching students with messy handwriting how to correct theirs. Yes, there were a few videos on calligraphy instruction at the time and even teaching cursive handwriting - but nothing on handwriting correction especially for messy and sloppy handwriting that is seen in some students with ADHD. Another video I just published using memory techniques I used for students is " Day to Day Memory Techniques for Adults and Senior Citizens". It turned out that the memory techniques I was using for ADHD students could be adapted to use for senior citizens as well as others suffering form memory issues like people with chemo brain or epilepsy .
An outcome of working with biofeedback in students with ADHD is that I also became a tutor and ADHD coach. Thus, I adapted some of the relax concentration stand alone tools for adults with ADHD and made a short video that can also be downloaded from Amazon.com
" Zen for ADD ADHD. A synopsis is in the video below.
Another outcome of the book Being In Control is how to teach someone with dysgraphia and or ADHD how to become an artist. Thus, I published the book "Creative painting for the Young Artist" . An amazing outcome of my tutoring students with learning challenges was to learn how to teach people who think they can't paint- how to paint. The pictures and paintings from the book are both from the USA and Israel.
Right now I am working on a new video for speed reading and better reading comprehension . This is promised to be advanced and include the techniques for relaxed concentration developed.
When I came back to the USA in 2006 I wanted to tell the story of my journey as a Hebrew American who lived in Israel and all the amazing things I was able to contribute as ween in the videos above. I was thinking - should I write one book about my life in Israel and another book about my work with ADHD?
In the end I concluded that my developing natural techniques for ADHD was so intertwined with the " start up nation" that I put it all into the book memoir. Thus, " Leaving Home Going Home Returning Home " has a full 8 chapters dedicated to how in Israel I was able to create this way of helping learning challenged students as well as tell how I myself came to this topic with passion and empathy. In three chapters I discuss unique cases I solved. One case , a story about a tank mechanic in the IDF who had tank phobia; one case was a 17 year old student who never read a book , but wanted to know if he could now go to university; and in another case an orthodox girl in fourth grade who could pray well and who could get good grades, but could not read. Her parents and her teachers had no clue. Another reason I wanted to combine this all into my memoir on Israel is because I wanted the world to know that Israel was not just the country living in strife they see in the news but also an amazing country where miracles do happen.
And after I finish the Speed Reading Video I want to try my hand at a video of Israeli Jewish, Arab Cooking that I so fell in love with and also describe in Leaving Home.
Here is an example of a Hummus recipe that I created. ( I joke - I probably would have made more money selling Hummus but would not have been happier than I am now).
Sunday, November 30, 2014
The first color workbook of natural techniques for ADHD published in Israel in 1999 stands the test of time.
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